Remembrance and Concealment

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When I celebrate New Year's Day, I look back on the previous year and remember.  Do you?  There is also a remembrance aspect to Rosh HaShanah, the New Year's Day on the Jewish civil calendar, which is why one of the names for Rosh HaShanah is Day of Remembrance (Yom HaZikkaron).  But, remember ... what?  What is remembered on Rosh HaShanah?

You may be surprised to learn that here is something Jews believe in common with biblical Creationists:  that the Earth is almost 6000 years old, as opposed to many millions.  While this seems like a strange seque, it is relevant.

Do you know what year it is?  2019, you say.  But, on the Jewish calendar, do you know what year it is today (September 26, 2019)?  It is 5779, and will become 5780 on Rosh HaShanah.

Through the centuries, Jews have believed that God has a 7000 year plan for the Earth,1 a timeline which mirrors in millennia each of the 7 days of Creation (one day of creation for each thousand years).  So, the Creation (some say Man/Adam) was initiated on Tishri 1, and we are living in "Day Six", so to speak.  Day 7 of Creation was the first Sabbath, and "Day 7" in millennia will be the Millennial Reign of Messiah, whom we know is Jesus Christ.
When God, in the time of Moses, rotated the months so that Aviv (Nisan) became the first month on the religious calendar, Tishri then became the seventh month, the "Sabbath month".  Accordingly, it represents the seventh millennium in the 7000 year plan of God.  Ancient Jewish prophets and scholars spoke often of this period called the Messianic Kingdom.

So, the creation of the world is one thing that is celebrated and remembered on Rosh HaShanah.  What else happened, according to Jewish history and tradition, on Tishri 1?2
Well, we read in Nehemiah 8:1-9 that on Tishri 1 the prophet Ezra gathered all the returning exiles from Babylon at the Water Gate, where he read to them the Torah (the Law of Moses).  There was a huge outpouring from the people, a tremendous repentance and returning to God.  Further, ...

• It's believed that Sarah, Rachel and Hannah became pregnant with Isaac, Joseph and Samuel, respectively, on Tishri 1.
• It's believed that Noah released the dove the third time from the Ark on Tishri 1.
• It's believed that Abraham bound Isaac to the altar of sacrifice on Mt. Moriah, on Tishri 1. (Torah readings read on Rosh HaShanah are from Genesis 21 and 22.)

{In all three of these bulleted instances, I say "it's believed" because my study of the book of Genesis can find no actual references to Tishri 1 in any of these accounts.}

Regardless, it is established by God in Leviticus 23:24 that Rosh HaShanah is a day of remembrance.  The word "memorial" in that verse is "zikkaron" in the Hebrew.  This is a day when God's people remember His miraculous works and for the people to rededicate themselves to God and His ways.

What does "concealment" have to do with anything?  Rosh HaShanah, Tishri 1, because it falls on the first day of the month, occurs when the new moon may not yet be visible, may still be concealed.  For this reason, Psalm 81:3 is thought to pertain to Rosh HaShanah.

Blow the shofar at the new moon, at the time of the concealed moon.

Each of the 12 "new moons" on the Jewish, lunar calendar is a Rosh Chodesh, a special celebration, a rebirth.  Jewish sages used to say that, when the moon was renewed at the beginning of its cycle, it was being "born again". Paul affirmed, in Colossians 2:16-17, the new moon and the festivals were given by the LORD to teach things to come, particularly things concerning Messiah.  So, this is another beautiful, prophetic aspect of Rosh HaShanah.

Before we leave Colossians 2:16-17, let's take another look, as I wind up this post, because this is an important point for Christians studying these Old Testament festivals.

16Therefore let no one judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a feast, a New Moon, or a Sabbath. 17These are a shadow of the things to come, but the body that casts it belongs to Christ.

These verses tell us that the Jewish practices mentioned in verse 16 pre-figure the future, but that the "body" (heavenly body) that casts the shadow belongs to Jesus Christ, the true Messiah.  So, Jesus Christ eclipses (sorry!) everything; He fulfills and supersedes it all.  Paul was a practicing Jew.  He kept the Sabbath, the festivals, etc. His admonition about letting no one judge Christ-followers as to how each person applies the principles of these Jewish elements to their Christian walk is important.  The more I study the alignment of these feasts to Jesus' life and ministry, finished work and future promises, the more rich my appreciation of them becomes.

I have a precious friend who was born Jewish and who became a Christian in her young adult years.  She is now what you would call a Messianic Christian.  She incorporates many elements of Jewish practice into her life and worship.  She has her doctorate in religious studies and her dissertation was written on this very point of "how much of Old Testament Torah should the modern-day Christian live out?"  As Christians, we know that our salvation is not by our own works or efforts, but instead by the saving grace of Jesus Christ.  That being true, there are many Christians who embrace many of the Old Testament practices as a choice, because they believe doing so honors God.  Some of my best friends in the Hebraic Christian (I have no better term) denominations have no Jewish blood in their veins.  They firmly believe in salvation by grace, through Jesus Christ alone, but they have also recognized the prophetic patterns, the beauty of the festivals of Leviticus 23.  "Keeping" the festivals deepens their worship.

Reflecting on many of the aspects of Rosh HaShanah can be genuinely edifying for all Christians.  Voluntarily undergoing Teshuva, that is, to examine our lives and measure them by God's standard of holiness, to repent and to return to God, to renew our commitment to walk in His ways - - all of these practices are commanded by God.3   (See Lamentations 3:40, Haggai 1:5, Psalm 119:59, Matthew 7:3-5, Galatians 6:3-4, 1 Corinthians 11:28, 2 Corinthians 13:5, James 5:16, 1 John 1:8-9 etc.)  And, when done in light of the truth of the gospel, this can be a healing practice for our spirit.  Furthermore, it is exciting to meditate on the parallels, the precursors for Jesus' return, in light of the Fall Festivals.  We'll look at more of those in upcoming posts.

Paul has given us an outstanding life example.  He practiced in his Christian walk what the Holy Spirit led him to do.  He was an ardent follower of Jesus Christ, believing in salvation by grace and faith alone.  Yet, he was also an observer of the rites and rituals common to the life of a Jewish man.  In the Spirit of Jesus Christ, he extended "life walk latitude" to new believers in Christ, particularly those who were from a Gentile background.  Like Paul, I believe it to be a matter of personal conscience, as the Holy Spirit directs each believer.

Sources:

1   Good, J. (1998). Rosh HaShanah and the Messianic Kingdom to come: an interpretation of the Feast of Trumpets based upon ancient sources. Nederland, TX: Hatikva 

2   http://www.torahtots.com/timecapsule/thismonth/tishrei.htm#1

3   https://www.hebrew4christians.com/Holidays/Fall_Holidays/Rosh_Hashannah/Biblical/biblical.html

Judaizers (again)

When Jesus ascended to Heaven and very shortly thereafter the Holy Spirit descended onto the members of the early Church at Pentecost, the battle really heated up.  And, truly, Satan's opposition to the Church, with its gospel message of "salvation by grace through faith" has never abated.

The best information we have in the New Testament about the Judaizers comes from the book of Galatians, where the battle for the soul of the Church ran especially hot.  Note that Judaizers were also soundly renounced by early Church leaders in Acts 15 at the Council of Jerusalem, in the church of Colosse (Colossians 2:16-17), in the very carnal Corinthian church (1 Corinthians 7) and in the church at Rome (Romans 14:5).

The Galatians were a Gentile people who loved Jesus Christ and wanted to walk in obedience to Him. They had, however, been deceived by Judaizers who, I do honestly believe, were sincere (although sincerely wrong).  Look at what Paul says (5:2-3) about the Galatians trusting in circumcision to make themselves right with God (that is, work to earn their own salvation).

2-3 I am emphatic about this. The moment any one of you submits to circumcision or any other rule-keeping system, at that same moment Christ’s hard-won gift of freedom is squandered. I repeat my warning: The person who accepts the ways of circumcision trades all the advantages of the free life in Christ for the obligations of the slave life of the law.

Galatians 5:2-3 The Message version

Yesterday, a customer called the pie shop and RAVED about our apple pie, declaring it to be the best double-crust pie he had ever tasted.  He exclaimed that there was "no going back" for him.

What the Galatians were doing was submitting to, allowing themselves to be enslaved by, an old covenant.  They had chosen to remove themselves from the path of grace through Christ and to pursue achieving their own holiness through enslaving themselves again to the Law (5:4).

Jesus Christ established a new covenant through His blood.  He IS God's new covenant with His people!  How do I know this?  Where is the "proof"?  Let's examine the Scriptures.  You are expecting a NT reference, aren't you?  No, we must go all the way back to Jeremiah 31:31-34 (ESV).

31 “Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah, 32 not like the covenant that I made with their fathers on the day when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, my covenant that they broke, though I was their husband, declares the Lord. 33 For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people. 34 And no longer shall each one teach his neighbor and each his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, declares the Lord. For I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.”

I can hear some of you now - - "This was meant just for the Jews, the chosen people, and will be fulfilled in the last days."  Yes, while God WILL restore the Jews to Himself in the last days Jesus Christ made it clear that HE is the fulfillment of this scripture passage, and He did it at the last meal He shared with His disciples.  Luke 22:20 (ESV) - - -

17And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he said, “Take this, and divide it among yourselves. 18For I tell you that from now on I will not drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes.” 19And he took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” 20And likewise the cup after they had eaten, saying, “This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood.

Jesus Christ's blood, poured out for us, established and sealed God's new covenant relationship with people, those people willing to enter into covenant relationship with Him, the Father God, through the Son, Jesus Christ.  This offer is for ALL people who are willing - - Jew or Gentile.  If the Luke passage is not clear enough for you, consider Hebrews 9:15 (ESV), which is quite emphatic.

Therefore he is the mediator of a new covenant, so that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance, since a death has occurred that redeems them from the transgressions committed under the first covenant.

Does this mean that circumcising our male children is wrong?  Or, that observing Jewish feast days and customs is wrong?  Only if you are depending on them to achieve your own righteousness with God.  NO.GOING.BACK.

I have Christian friends and loved ones with Jewish heritage as well as those without it.  Regardless of bloodline, they choose to honor Jesus Christ by observing the Jewish feast days, because they see Him so beautifully represented in Old Testament practices.  But, they do NOT depend on their observances for their salvation.  They submit to various parts of Jewish law out of love for their Savior, while serving God from a circumcised HEART: a heart which covenants with God through faith in Jesus Christ, a faith is expressed in love (Galatians 5:6, Romans 2:29).

So, that is what Paul had battled in Galatia.  We are currently studying the book of Titus, where Paul had become aware of Judaizers similar to those in Galatia. Today's text is 1:10-16 - -

10For there are many rebellious men, empty talkers and deceivers, especially those of the circumcision, 11who must be silenced because they are upsetting whole families, teaching things they should not teach for the sake of sordid gain. 12One of themselves, a prophet of their own, said, “Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, lazy gluttons.” 13This testimony is true. For this reason reprove them severely so that they may be sound in the faith, 14not paying attention to Jewish myths and commandments of men who turn away from the truth. 15To the pure, all things are pure; but to those who are defiled and unbelieving, nothing is pure, but both their mind and their conscience are defiled.16They profess to know God, but by their deeds they deny Him, being detestable and disobedient and worthless for any good deed.

Titus 1:10-16 (NASB)

Again, Judaizers were often referred to as "those of the circumcision" because they held circumcision as the centerpiece of their religious practice/proselytizing.
Judaizers professed to understand the heart of God revealed through the Old Testament, but in practice were entangled with all sorts of non-Mosaic "add-ons" - - Jewish traditions that had been tacked on through the centuries since salvation "by faith" was established with Abraham and from which they were seemingly unable to (or unwilling to) escape from.  (You may recall Jesus debunked several of these during his earthly ministry; we find such in the gospel accounts.)

In summary, let's remind ourselves of this over-arching truth from Romans 7:

But now we have been exempted from The Written Law, and we are dead to that which had controlled us, so that we shall serve from now on in the newness of The Spirit and not in the Old Order Scriptures.

Romans 7:6 (Aramaic Bible in Plain English)